Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
by tonnie2001969
Summary: JJ/Rossi...prequel to "An Angel for Christmas"...it's fluff...it's fun...and it's a fallen Christmas tree!


**_Thanks to Susan for continually encouraging me to post this, and to Tracia for pushing me through it to begin with! This is the prequel to "An Angel for Christmas"....please check them both out and let me know what you think!_**

**It's fluff. Total, unadulterated, mind-altering fluff. Enjoy!**

Jennifer Jareau Rossi was in heaven. Or as close to heaven as she could get while still on earth. Literally turning a circle, she took in her entire living room, and declared herself very pleased with the preliminary results. Very pleased. From the eight foot tall very real tree in front of the bay windows to the green garland hanging on the wooden banister, her home was well underway to becoming the Christmas wonderland that she had in mind.

The only thing missing in her perfect world would be her not-so-perfect husband. Frowning, JJ looked toward the kitchen, knowing that David Rossi was supposed to be hard at work bringing in the decorations from the car. But knowing him, he was also hard at work trying to avoid the very idea of decorating their house. But JJ knew how to put a stop to that.

From the top of her blond head to the bottom of her sock-clad feet, JJ possessed the unique and enviable ability to reign in the great David Rossi. And she knew it. Smiling slightly, she padded through the living room toward the kitchen, breathing deeply as she smelled the mint tea that was warming on the stove. Telling herself that there would be time later for tea, she continued toward the back door, her hand yanking the knob quickly.

Stepping out onto the wooden deck, she had to smile as she watched the man of her dreams. His phone apparently attached to his ear, Rossi was attempting to balance three large packages while carrying at least a dozen small bags. All while talking to someone on the other end of that phone. From her vantage point on the long deck, JJ propped her elbows on the railing and just watched. And enjoyed the view.

Damn, that man was handsome. Watching his arms flex as he almost dropped the largest package, JJ bit back a much larger smile, remembering exactly how strong those arms were. And also how gentle his hands were. The man not only knew how to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, he was also quite capable of carrying her wherever whenever he wanted. And he often wanted.

And that was saying a lot right now. Dropping a hand to her obviously round stomach, JJ rubbed gently, the feel of their child under her hand never failing to bring a smile to her face.

She could remember the exact look on his face the moment she had told him that he was going to be a father. Having had a few suspicions, JJ had confirmed her thoughts with a quick visit to her doctor. Then she had made her plan. Knowing that Rossi would be gone that Saturday morning, duck season well under way, she had called his mother and reviewed the recipe for his favorite meal, osso bucco. After a short shopping trip, she had spent the day preparing veal shanks to the exact specifications of Mama Rossi.

But it wasn't the osso bucco that got his attention nearly as much as the lack of his favorite wine to accompany it. Arriving back from the hunting trip, grumpily unsuccessful, Rossi had taken one look, and smell, at the kitchen then kissed the daylights out of her. If it hadn't been for quick thinking on JJ's part, the veal might have been a disaster. But the moment he realized that there wasn't a nice bottle of Cono Sur waiting on the table, the entire night might have been a disaster. For some inexplicable reason, David Rossi had grown fond of that pretentious little wine from the hills of Chile. But the look on his face when she explained why there was no alcoholic beverage, though, well made up for his earlier dissatisfaction. And the way that he showed his newly-found satisfaction later that evening was just the icing on the cake.

And for the next few minutes, JJ was perfectly content to just stand on the deck and smile at her husband. And smile at her memories.

**************

Rossi was doing his best to pay attention to the voice in his ear. Really he was. But that wasn't stopping him from questioning the necessity of the conversation, especially while trying to carry what just might be Macy's entire collection of Christmas decorations. Knowing his wife and her spending habits well, he was fairly certain it was. But he also knew it was partially his fault. He had made the mistake of saying out loud that he hadn't decorated for this particular season in over twenty years. This was his punishment, and he knew it.

Pulled from his inner diatribe by the voice in his ear once again, Rossi grabbed a loose bag as he spoke into the phone, his voice stern. "Listen to me, Hotch. I don't care what type of deathly sickness you think you are coming down with. If your ass is not at my wife's party in seven hours, I will not be responsible for your continued health and well-being."

Rolling his eyes at the blustering he heard on the other end, Rossi took a deep breath as he kicked the SUV door shut. And noticing his wife for the first time, her blonde hair fairly gleaming in the winter sun, he felt a smile cross his lips. And he suddenly had no more time for Aaron Hotchner and his possible double pneumonia. Not even bothering to say goodbye, David Rossi merely pressed the red button and disconnected the call, Hotch's voice suddenly silenced.

Walking toward the woman that he had fallen deeply and completely in love with, Rossi wondered if she realized how gorgeous she was, her red sweater hugging her body in just the right places, her blonde tresses bouncing gently against her shoulders. And those legs that just seemed to go on forever and ever. But then, maybe he was biased. And he definitely was biased toward the child that was currently being protected inside that beautiful body.

Walking carefully up the steps, his eyes on her the entire time, he had to smile even more at the look of happiness that crossed her face. He liked to think that he was responsible for at least part, if not all, of that look, and he was willing to do whatever it took to keep that look there permanently. Even if it killed him.

*********

It was official. His wife was trying to kill him. Staring at the very-pregnant woman as she stood at the top of the stairs, leaning far over the railing with a strand of Christmas lights in her tiny hand, David Rossi felt his heart literally drop into his stomach. Groaning loudly as he took the stairs two at a time, he yelled, "Dammit, Jennifer. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

She heard that tone in his voice, but she had not intentions of stopping, as she was on a roll. Rolling her eyes, she still managed to weave the tiny cords through her well placed garland as she yelled back, "If I wanted to try to kill you, David Rossi, I could have definitely found a quicker…." Her words were suddenly cut off as she felt a pair of strong hands wrap tightly around her waist, fingers gripping her hips as she was abruptly pulled backwards. And her body suddenly crashed against a much stronger and harder surface.

Looking down into bright blue eyes, Rossi resisted the urge to shake some sense into her. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed her hand, and pressed it, lights and all, against his chest. "Do you feel that, Jennifer? That is my heart going ninety miles an hour. All because I saw my eight month pregnant wife trying to perform acrobatic tricks on a thin piece of railing."

"Oh, quit exaggerating." Jerking her hand from his grip, JJ used it to smack his chest, hard, the lights stinging as they tapped his neck. "And I seem to recall that when we had that new railing installed just a few months ago, you went on and on about the quality of the wood and the safety factor of the installation."

"That was before you were using it for handstands!" Tightening his arms around her, Rossi did shake her this time as his voice rose. "The lights are not more important than your safety, woman!"

Narrowing her eyes at the dark look on her husband's face, JJ smiled sweetly but firmly as she measured out her words. "We are going to have lights on this banister, David. If I don't put them up, then how do you think they will get there? It's not as if we have a dozen house-elves to do our bidding, you know." Sliding her hand up his neck, she patted his cheek for good measure, knowing that she was seconds from getting what she wanted.

Loosening his grip, Rossi kept one hand firmly wrapped around her waist as he used the other one to pinch the bridge of his nose. He knew that look on his wife's face, and he had walked straight into this one. And there was no way out. Taking a deep breath, he mumbled, his tone filled with a long suffering sigh, "I guess that I'll string the lights, too, Jennifer."

Her frown suddenly turned to a smile as she pushed up on her tip toes, pressing a quick peck to his lips. But once again, she felt her body moving without her permission. But this time she wasn't going to object. Feeling her feet leave the ground, she found herself pulled against his strong chest, their baby cushioned between them. His lips softly caressed hers, his words whispered against her skin. "You really didn't think you were gonna escape that easily, did you?"

Smiling against his smile, JJ whispered back, her eyes already starting to close as she anticipated his next move, "Oh, I have no intention of trying to escape you, David Rossi."

Warm lips suddenly crashed against her mouth, and she no longer remembered why she was even concerned about Christmas lights. Those in her hand suddenly hit the ground with a thud. They were apparently quite capable of making their own electricity without any old Christmas lights! The man was very talented when it came to kissing, and she knew that he knew it. But all she cared about for those few moments was the way that his body felt against hers, the sheer strength in his hands as he easily held her against him.

She wasn't about to let him have all the fun, though. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed herself even closer, if that was possible, feeling his growl as much as hearing it. Turning her mouth slightly, she finally gave in to his insistent demands and allowed his tongue to sweep against hers, a silent duel that both of them planned on winning.

Blame it on hormones, she thought fleetingly as she let him carry her to their waiting bedroom. Those Christmas lights would still be waiting in an hour.

**********

Sitting halfway up his staircase and staring at the seventh strand of lights, David Rossi swore softly, wondering if it was possible to be allergic to Christmas. But knowing JJ like he did, she would probably claim that there was a vaccination available and immediately bundle him off to the hospital to get it.

It wasn't the damned lights themselves that were the problem. It was the woman currently standing in front of him and handing him those damned lights. If he hadn't just spent the last forty-five minutes in her arms, he might seriously think about having her committed to the local insane asylum. Watching her reach for another box of lights, he considered doing just that, romance be damned. Her love for all things Christmas just might be the death of them both.

Reaching out a quick hand, he grabbed her soft fingers just as they were about make contact with the box and said, "Don't you think that seventy feet of lights is enough? It's only a ten foot banister, darlin'."

Unsuccessfully trying to pull her hand away, JJ just reached out with her other hand, the box well within her reach. "Don't darlin' me now, David Rossi. You know that we need to wrap the spindles too." Turning to him quickly, she said firmly, her eyes staring straight into his. "And there will be no more distracting me from this project."

Reluctantly accepting the brightly colored box, Rossi responded, his dark eyes not leaving hers. "Hey, I'm not the one who made the first move, little girl. I distinctly remember you kissing me. First."

Dropping their joined hands to her rounded belly, JJ smiled softly as she watched his eyes light up, his hand automatically tightening against hers as they both felt the flutter of movement. Laughing shortly, she said, "Blame it on your child. And the hormones that come with her."

Squeezing her hand, he let go then reluctantly opened the next box of lights. Separating the ends, he glanced up at JJ and asked, "Don't you think it's time that we decided on a name? We can't keep calling her "the baby" or "your child."

Rolling her eyes, JJ took the three steps necessary to reach the landing, where a large selection of decorations were waiting. Bending over to open another box, she called over her shoulder, "We can keep calling her whatever I want as long as you keep insisting on that stupid name."

"Hey! Beatrice Allison Ursula is not a stupid name. It's a beautiful, intelligent, thoughtful selection." Hiding his face from her, he smiled widely into the garland, his fingers quickly wrapping more of the damned lights.

"I refuse to give my child those initials, David." Shaking her head wildly, JJ dug through the new decorations as she said, firmly, "My daughter will NOT be known as BAU Rossi. Do I make myself clear?"

Wrapping another spindle, Rossi called out, "Well, I still say we're not naming her Brennan. I refuse to name my daughter after that man, even if he is a great quarterback."

Muttering loudly, JJ kept digging through the cardboard boxes. "Yeah, we both know the real reason is that you don't ever want to have to tell your child that she was conceived in a stadium while the 'Skins were scoring!"

Merely nodding his head in fake agreement, Rossi grinned even more at her turned back. "Well, then what about my second choice? Don't I at least get some sort of input here?

Picking up the much smaller box, knowing that her favorite ornament just had to be in there, JJ said, sarcasm dripping in every word, "Oh, you mean your even stupider second choice of Francine Belinda Isabella? You don't think that I can't see that one from a mile away? I swear, I'm going to have Hotch draw up legal papers forbidding you from getting anywhere near our child's birth certificate."

Finally wrapping the last set of lights, Rossi felt like throwing a party, then remembered that his wife had already planned one for later that evening. Standing up straight, Rossi stretched as he said firmly, "Hotch is not getting anywhere near our legal documents, Jennifer Jareau Rossi. I've got those drawn up exactly like I want them, and we do not need Mr. "Oh, we can make this better" touching our well-laid out plans."

Moving toward the Christmas tree, JJ dropped the box on a side chair, then pulled out the first of many, many ornaments. Turning back to him, she shook a silver snowflake at him and said, "Well laid plans aside, you're still not naming our child. Apparently your brain is not capable of performing such a simple process."

Snorting, Rossi said loudly, "Simple, my ass. We're giving a brand new human a title that will follow her for the rest of her life. What if we screw it up? What if she's fifteen and claims that her name is all wrong? I don't want to blamed for that, Jennifer."

"Oh, I'm sure that we'll be blamed for far more than her name, Rossi."

Shaking his head quickly, Rossi mumbled, "Don't make me think about that, Jennifer. Please."

Glancing over her shoulder, JJ almost laughed at the sight of the great David Rossi worried about dealing with a teenage daughter. "Then let's think about names."

Trying to forget that he would be 68 when his daughter was only fifteen, Rossi shook himself, forcing himself to focus on the present. And on the beautiful blonde that was currently trying to reach for an obviously too-tall branch. Walking quickly down the steps, he crossed the room as he said, "Okay. But we need some rules."

"Rules to name our daughter?" Scoffing, JJ said, "I must have missed those control freak tendencies when you were sweeping me off my feet."

His hand wrapped around hers as she tried to reach up once again, and she quickly surrendered the ornament. Pointing, she directed him to the right branch, and smiled as he placed it exactly where she wanted. Continuing with her thoughts, she immediately handed him another ornament as she said, smiling, "So what type of rules are you proposing?"

Glancing down at her upturned face, he resisted the urge to kiss her again. There was something about her, right now, that made him want to throw her over his shoulder and take her to his cave. And not come out until spring had sprung. Forcing himself to focus on the task at hand, he reached for the waiting ornament as he said, "Each of us proposes five names, then we'll narrow it down to the top three. I think that's fair."

Nodding sagely, JJ replied, tongue in cheek, "Okay, but you've already made your first SIX selections, if I'm not mistaken."

Shaking his finger at her, he said, mock serious voice, "Don't count. We're starting from scratch, woman."

"Well, if we're using that logic, then I'm going first. You might change the rules on me otherwise." Dropping her free hand to rub her belly, the baby choosing this moment to turn a few somersaults, JJ agreed and said, "I propose Annabeth."

Automatically shaking his head, Rossi frowned and said, "That's my father's sister's name. And my mother would kill us, considering she never liked the woman. How about Carolyna or Michella?"

Matching his expression, JJ replied, "Neither one does anything for me. Maybe Susannah?"

"It has possibilities." Hanging another ornament that had been firmly pressed into his fingers, he considered the name, then threw out another choice. "What do you think about Amelia?"

Shaking her head negatively, JJ said with a slight laugh, "Too close to Emily, and if we name the baby after one friend and not the other, then Penelope Garcia will make our lives a living hell." Taking a second to think, she finally added, "Maybe Sarabeth?"

Stopping his movements for a moment, he caught his wife's eye, seeing the look of hope reflected in her gaze. Placing the ornament on the tree, he then tilted her chin up, smiling down at her as his finger gently caressed her cheek. "You like that one best?"

Smiling at him, she stared into his eyes, liking the look that she saw there. "How did you know?"

Dropping his other hand to her waist, he pulled her slightly closer, rubbing small circles against her side. "Your voice changed. Almost like you could already hear yourself calling her that."

Stepping even closer, JJ let her hand creep up his chest, pressing against his heart as she whispered, "Wow. No wonder you get to be the big bad profiler."

Completely closing the distance between them, Rossi whispered back, his lips inches from hers as he said, "Oh, no, woman, I get to be the big bad profiler because I also know that you want me to do this."

And once again, the Christmas decorations had to wait while David Rossi kissed his wife. And wait they did.

**********

Four hours later, staring at the completely decorated living room, JJ wondered how they had ever managed to get all of the decorations up, considering her husband did his dead-level best to keep her distracted. And she let him! That was the part that she couldn't understand about herself today. All David Rossi had to do was look at her, and she was ready to let him have his way with her.

She wanted to blame it on baby hormones, but if she was being honest with herself, David Rossi had always managed to make her forget about everything and everyone else. From the moment she had met him in Hotch's office over a year ago, his gaze seeming to invade her very soul, she had known that her life would never be the same from that point forward. And she had been absolutely right. Her life was unbelievably better because of him…in every single area.

But she wasn't about to let him know all of this, especially today. She had to maintain some control, after all. And she still had to find her husband, who had managed to disappear about half an hour ago. But the house only had nine rooms, and she knew every nook and cranny of every one of them. He could run, but he couldn't hide.

But she didn't have to look far. Jumping slightly as she felt those strong arms once again wrap around her, his hands coming to rest against her baby bump, she immediately felt herself relaxing against him. Nuzzling her neck, he asked, a laugh in his voice, "Somebody seems to be very happy with her decorations."

Leaning further against him, she nodded, her eyes still checking out all of the decorations. The gold and green garland set off the golden oak wood, and the tall tree was completely covered in the world's craziest colors, a veritable shimmering rainbow from star to skirt. "I'm very happy with OUR decorations."

Rossi smiled against her hair, dropping a soft kiss against her golden locks. Pulling her tighter, his chest pressing against her back, he was content to hold her for a moment, gently swaying as she leaned her head back against his shoulder. "You sure you're up to an evening with our crew of misfits?"

Tightening her hand against his, both pressed on the upper rise of her stomach, JJ murmured, "Don't talk about our family that way, David! You know you love them just as much as they love you!"

Shifting her slightly, he pulled her into his side, leading her over to the oversized recliner that sat in the corner. Pulling her down as he sat, he molded her body to his, his desire to give her a moment's rest mixing with his desire to just hold her. "Oh, it's not that I don't love them, darlin'. It's that they can drive us crazy in seven seconds or less."

Tucking her head under his chin, JJ hummed softly as she felt her body relaxing completely. Damn, the man was comfortable, and all she wanted to do for the next few minutes was close her eyes and catch a quick powernap. Her voice was low as she murmured, "It will be a perfect evening, David. We're used to dealing with the worst that society can offer every day of our lives. What can go wrong with a nice, family pre-Christmas get together?"

*************

A mere four hours later, Jennifer Rossi stared in absolute horror, her beautiful Christmas tree no longer so beautiful. Listing to the far left, almost touching the bowed window, the once stunning Douglas fir now appeared to have been hewn down in it's prime, branches sticking out willy-nilly in all directions. And one side seemed to be…smushed. And if there was one thing that JJ didn't do, it was smushed Christmas trees.

Now, JJ was definite that the tree had been in its original position when the team had arrived just a mere hour earlier. She knew this because she had graciously accepted the compliments of Emily and Garcia, both gushing over the beautiful decorations and the unique color choice for the tree. Morgan and Hotch had merely grunted in the background, their eyes meeting those of her husband, who wisely kept his mouth shut and smiled. But Reid had been a different story, wanting to investigate each and every ornament, sharing the history of tree decoration dating back to the Celtic Druids and their worship of all things nature. So, yes, she knew that her tree…her beautiful tree…had been perfectly sturdy sixty minutes prior. But it wasn't now.

Her hands suddenly moving to her face as quickly as her feet carried her across the hardwoods, she tried to make words come out of her mouth, but she couldn't. For the life of her, she couldn't seem to string a thought together, let alone coherent sentences. All she could do was stare at the disaster that was her Christmas tree. And then at the person that was responsible for said disaster.

Spencer Reid knew that look. Having been on the receiving end of it more times than even his mind could remember, Reid was well-acquainted with angry JJ. Standing less that three feet from the tree and looking at the small blonde, Reid waved his hands rapidly as he practically yelled, "It just fell! Honest, JJ!" Glancing at Morgan, who was doing his best to hide behind Penelope, Reid begged, "Back me up, Morgan! Tell her that the tree just suddenly twisted then fell!"

What the young genius had not taken into consideration was the newly-formed mixture of angry JJ AND hormonal JJ. But David Rossi had. Having lived with the woman for her entire pregnancy, he was more than familiar with the possibility of a mood swing mixed with a temper tantrum. And he was well aware of the consequences.

Which was why he chose to move quickly at that moment. Having heard the tree crash, he had made a beeline for the living room, his voice rising as he yelled from the study, "What in the hell just happened?" Arriving in the room at the same time as his wife, he had taken one look at her face before moving to stand in front of her. Which also allowed him to place himself between her and the tree killer.

Taking in the sudden paleness of her cheeks and the fact that she still hadn't spoken, Rossi tilted her chin carefully, forcing her eyes to meet his as he dropped his other hand to her stomach. He was fairly certain that she was just angry, but it never hurt to be a bit paranoid.

Feeling her husband's touch, JJ felt her eyes widen even more as she mumbled, her words shocked, "He broke my tree, David. He broke my tree!"

Reid tried to pipe up in the background, his words rushed as he explained, "I didn't break it, JJ! It wasn't me! It just fell!"

Doing her best to lean around her husband, JJ ground out, her eyes flashing, "Trees don't just fall, Spencer Reid. My tree was not having vertical issues before you arrived. Are you telling me that you didn't touch my tree at all?"

Gulping audibly, Spencer took a step back as he mumbled, "I just barely moved an ornament, JJ."

And that apparently was the magic question and answer. Even with his back to the young genius, Rossi could tell by the tone of his voice that the man realized that he indeed committed the unpardonable sin. And by the look in his wife's eyes, she could, too. Dropping his hands to her arms, he slid behind her easily, wrapping his arms around hers, effectively pinning her back against his chest. His voice calm and reasonable, he addressed Reid in his best agent voice. "Spencer, tell Jennifer that you'll never touch any of her decorations ever again."

Once again, Reid's hands waved erratically, his voice squeaking as he yelled, "But, Agent Rossi, all I did was move the gold angel to the side so that you could see the purple harp. Really, that's all I did!"

Hearing a snort in the background, JJ whipped her head around, nailing Morgan with her eyes. She would have moved even more, but apparently her husband was trying to keep her a prisoner in her own house. Her voice brooked no argument as she demanded, "Do you have something to add to that, Derek? And bear in mind that anything you say, or don't say as the case may be, can and will be used against you."

Derek Morgan was not raised to be a stupid man, and he was not about to change that now. Still using Garcia as a human shield, the normally powerful profiler shook his head violently, his words clear as he said, "Not saying anything, little mama. I refuse to comment on the grounds that anything I say or do might incriminate me even though I wasn't anywhere near that tree from hell."

But the human shield that was known as Penelope Garcia was not about to be left out of the conversation. And she knew that she could provide extremely valuable information that just might keep her very best friend from committing murder. Although, if she did, Garcia had a feeling that somehow or another, it could be declared justified. Feeling Derek Morgan cowering behind her, Garcia snickered as she started talking. "Now, now, children. Let's not cry over spilt milk or fallen trees. JJ, gumdrop, I think you need to ask Reid a very specific question concerning the location of the ornament that he chose to move. Then we can put this whole unfortunate tree-a-cide behind us."

JJ narrowed her eyes at that piece of information, and immediately swung her gaze back to the tall gangly man that was attempting to inch out of the room. "Spencer?"

Turning back toward the "It was on the bottom branch, JJ. Right there in front. I just had to scoot all the way under those lower branches for just a second. Really less than a second. Maybe even a nanosecond. You know what a nanosecond is, right? Literally its just a…."

"Son, if I were you, I would quit talking now." Feeling his wife stiffen even more in his arms, Rossi proactively tightened his grip, preparing for an attempted escape. Nodding toward the tree, he said firmly, "Morgan, why don't you and Hotch see if it's possible to get that thing back up into a straight line. Jennifer and I will just stand here and practice deep breathing."

Reid piped up, his face excited as he said, "I can help! I know how to…

"Do. Not. Touch. My. Tree." JJ ground out the words, pulling slightly against her husband's restraining arm, but to no avail. Not that she had actually expected to escape his grip. The man possessed the strength of Samson when he wanted to keep her from doing something that he deemed dangerous, and she had encountered it many times in the past.

At JJ's deadly words, Reid wisely slid toward the stairs, finally settling on the bottom step, well out of the way of the line of fire. Rossi let out a sigh of relief as he watched their friends start to move the tree, listening as JJ called out commands about the placement of specific ornaments and assorted doodads. Content to merely hold his wife, her body comfortably pressed against him, Rossi rested his chin against the top of her head. And hoped against hope that nothing else would happen to disrupt their family evening. Again.

*****************

By the time that the last of their family members drove down the long gravel road, their taillights evident for at least half a mile, David Rossi was more than ready to call it a night. His only problem was that his wife, the Christmas fanatic that she was, had decided that the tree must be redecorated. And she had also decided that he would be involved in this great work.

Standing at the archway leading from the kitchen to the den, Rossi leaned against the wall and just watched, his eyes drawn to the woman that was currently petting the Christmas tree as if it was hurt pet. Unless he missed his guess, she was probably whispering apologies to the Douglas fir, and promising that nothing would ever happen to it again. But no matter what she was saying at that moment, he was very content to just spend a few moments getting his feel of her. For even still slightly mad, she was breathtakingly beautiful. Beautiful beyond belief.

Today had solidified every thought or emotion he had ever had about his wife. From her almost-contagious excitement at all things Christmas to her unbridled passion in their bed, her very spirit showed through in everything that she thought and did. And the fact that she corralled him and had him wrapped around her little finger didn't go unnoticed.

What also hadn't gone unnoticed today was her willingness to let him distract her by very simple methods. And David Rossi was not about to pass up an opportunity to once again show his wife exactly how much he loved her…and how much he wanted to make love to her. And if it just happened to allow him to escape the torture of re-decking the halls, then that would just be an added benefit.

His eyes followed her movements again, noticing with narrowed focus that JJ was eyeing the side chair with great interest. And when she actually started scooting the chair toward that god-forsaken tree, Rossi knew that he had better move faster than he had planned. The woman could move with the speed of Superman when she so desired, her pregnancy no limitation to her stubborn will.

His steps tapped quickly against the plank floor as he moved into her direct line of sight, his hand dropping against hers on the upholstery. Raising an eyebrow, he smiled down at her seemingly innocent expression. "Surely you're not intending to use this chair for anything other than a nice resting place, are you, Jennifer?"

JJ had used her time as Mrs. David Rossi very wisely, and she had developed a large catalog of Rossi expressions and reactions. Therefore, she was able to easily recognize the current tone as tolerant exasperation. Fortunately for her, she was certain that she knew the correct response. Letting him take her hand and pull her close, she batted her pale eyelashes as she murmured, "Now, David, would I abuse furniture in such a manner? I'm shocked that you don't trust me."

Pulling her toward him, he turned her away from the tree, wondering if it would be possible to break her focus and distract her once again. Lowering his head an inch closer to hers, he smirked as he replied, "Oh, shocked are you? Just how shocked do you think you might be?"

Feeling his hand drop to her waist, pulling her tighter against his strong chest, JJ felt her well-thought-out plans suddenly move to the sidelines once again. Licking her lips, she smiled. "Oh, I think that you're more than capable of making me very shocked, Agent Rossi." Staring up into his steady dark eyes, she could see the flashes of passion that simmered just below the surface. And it didn't take a federal profiler to be able to predict his next move.

His words were low in the now-quiet room, and she could feel her body start to literally hum in response to his tone…and to the way his hands were running up and down her side and cupping her closer to him. "You think you might be willing to let this little Christmas re-decoration wait until tomorrow, darlin'? I promise you that the tree will still be there. Trust me, no one will touch your tree ever again."

Tree? What tree? For the moment that David Rossi kissed his wife for what must have been the fortieth time that day, Jennifer Rossi completely forgot that she even had a Christmas tree, let alone the fact that it was smushed. Feeling his smile against hers, she felt her legs leave the ground as he swept her into his arms for the third time that day. She completely surrendered herself to his touch, his kiss, his complete control.

And she wouldn't have it any other way.


End file.
